Distance isn't Anything
by GothicaChica
Summary: Ib was taking the news hard. Garry was moving away. She just couldn't understand why she just couldn't let him go. Just when it's too late, they both realize they need each other in their lives. OlderIbxGarry T for now.
1. This Can't Be Happening

The tea cup seemed to go in slow motion as it as it appeared to plummet to the ground. It then shattered into millions of pieces one by one, littering the ground with tiny white shards of glass. The person who dropped it seemed not to notice it broken as her hands were still in the position as if holding the cup. She was unmoving at the moment as she was still trying to comprehend what she was just told.

"I'm moving in a few days, Ib"

Those words echoed loudly in her head. Bouncing off the walls of her skull again and again but she still didn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. Those crimson eyes of hers were wide in disbelief, her body rigid. She didn't want to believe those words. Deep inside herself, her world was crashing. All thoughts and emotions were shut down. As if her body and head were trying to block out the words as if it was a contagious deadly virus.

Sitting across from her was a very confused Garry. He didn't expect this reaction from her at all. He had hoped that she would just smile at him and say maybe congratulations was all. He hadn't expected her to seem so shocked about the matter. She knew that he had wanted to travel the world and continue his studies elsewhere. It didn't seem that all a surprise that he wanted to go away. But here he was, seeing his friend in a state of shock. He cringed at the loud shatter the tea cup had made when it crashed. But he didn't move to pick it up at all. He just continued to stare at Ib.

"How could you?"

Ib had mutter low under breath so it was barely audible, even to herself. Her body had just started to respond the situation. Her fists were clenched tightly, her fingernails biting into the palm of her hands as her knuckles turned white. Her physique stayed tense but her posture was straight. She desperately wanted to meet his eyes but she couldn't bring herself to. It would only lead to more grief if she saw those beautiful blue eyes. Instead she trained her sight to the uneaten macaroons laying upon on her plate.

"I didn't know it would cause such a surprise to you Ib. I thought you of all people knew how serious I was about getting my degree and traveling."

Garry still couldn't understand why Ib was making such a big deal about it. He couldn't take seeing Ib the way she was right now. It was as if she was upset by something but Garry just couldn't understand what about. He stayed calm but his eyes started to show a little worry in them. Why was she so tense? Why wouldn't she even look at him?

"Ib…."

She couldn't take this anymore. She felt as if all the air was being sucked out of the room as she could barely breathe. Her brain was pounding hard against her skull, which was causing her to have some sort of a migraine. She suddenly stood up, still not looking at him at all. Instead she walked slowly in a very composed like manner to the door, grabbing her coat hanging in the hallway on the way out. She stood, her back facing him and her hand firmly grabbing the knob.

"Congratulations. I hope you will find want you want elsewhere."

She stated this loudly in a very monotone voice. With that she swung the door open gently and walked out, not bothering to close the door behind her.

Garry was still sitting in his seat, trying to understand what had just happened. He definitely hadn't expected this at all. He was hoping she would be her normal calm self and just smile at him. He felt horrible now. His insides were regretting calling her here to tell her the news. He sighed loudly then looked at the mess on the floor. Then he stood up slowly, shaking his head. He only stepped over the mess and walked to his bedroom where his suitcase awaited to be packed.

Outside in an elevator going down from Garry's studio, Ib was weeping quietly. She just couldn't understand. Didn't he want to be here with her? The elevator came to a complete stop as the doors opened to the lobby holding a couple of people waiting to use the elevator. Ib shuffled out quickly, hiding her tear trekked face in the hood of her jacket. The couple only gave her a look then proceeded on indifferently. The manager who ran the lobby didn't even look up from his newspaper or acknowledge her in any sort. Good, Ib thought to herself as she pushed open the front doors leading to the outside. She didn't want anyone to see her like this or talk to anyone.

The wind hit her face hard, freezing up the tears still lurking in her eyes. There were white flakes descending fast onto the ground, covering everything in their path and leaving everything white. A few people were actually outside struggling to walk through the wind that was pushing them back. They were covered from head to toe in winter gear. Ib only had her silken jacket and suede boots attempting and failing to keep her warm. But Ib didn't care at the moment. She only wanted to get away from this place. And immediately she became one of those people, desperately just trying to get somewhere in the harsh blizzard that seemed to be reflecting on Ib's mood.


	2. Memories

I forgot to write this in the first chapter. Hi! I'm Gothica! A new writer here on this website. I just wanted to say thank you for reading this story so far! Please leave constructive criticism in the reviews (don't be mean. There's a fine line between pointing out a few mistakes and being a downright ass). Please enjoy! I don't know if I'll finish this story but I'll try! Also, English isn't my first language so please keep that in mind. And I'm sorry if the story isn't that great either.

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She had been laying on the rickety bench for what seemed like an eternity to her. In fact it had only been two hours. But it felt longer as she was thinking of the days herself and Garry had spent together in this little town. The regular visits to the café that Garry loves. He was so excited to show her the first time they had gone together, at that day it had become her favorite spot as well. It had the prettiest little red roses growing in ceramic pots all along then entrance. Hundreds of little vines each intertwined with each other grew over a wooden archway just above the entrance. They had tables with vases, each having two of the crimson roses in them, set for two right in front of the café. They have gone there so many times that everybody, even the boss of the café, knew them. They had their own little table all for themselves outside by the side of the café. They also had an assortment of macaroons that came in all different flavor and colors. Ib had had tried every one of them while Garry just sat and laughed at her.

And the times they spent at the peaceful library by her high school. Rarely anybody goes there but it is one of their most favorite to spend time with each other. The librarian knew them well and let them do as they please since they were very respectful of the books. Now that Ib thought about it, it was a possibility they had read every book in the library. Even though Garry wouldn't admit it he liked the fairytales despite the supposed love for the ghoulish horror stories that Ib didn't dare attempt to read. They would spend endless hours in there, with her sitting on his lap, her head resting on him as he read the books aloud to her. He sometimes would play with her hair while reading or she would play with his purple strands, whish she secretly adored. And when times she would fall asleep on him accidently he would carry her home, wrapping his jacket which he still owned around her.

Her "friends", Ib didn't really consider anyone but Garry her friend, would constantly tease her about him. Whenever he would wait for her outside the school gate to walk her home or to go to the café and help her study, her friends would tease her about her and Garry being together. They cooed on and on about how handsome he was and how mysterious he seemed in the "emo" garb. The upper class rarely sees those types of people so it was fairly new to them. They teased about how he was a rebellion against her parents and would ask of all the things she did with him. They would follow her up to him where they would flirt with him. They practically threw themselves on him asking him to go dating with them or trying to stir up some sexual reaction from him. He would just chuckle at them and politely turn them down. When they did this Ib always tried not to smile at the stupidity they display for everyone in the public to see. Once out of earshot from them Ib and Garry would laugh and impersonate them, making fun how each of the girls think that Garry would have been in the slightest impressed by their ways.

Ib especially needed Garry around the time when her parents were getting divorced. She couldn't stand being the same house as them during that low point in her life. She shielded herself in her room, trying to drown out the constant arguing and intense fighting that went on. She was completely miserable. They barely noticed her presence in the house anymore as Ib could no longer call it a home. During those days she would scribble down a little note saying how she would spending the night at a friend's house to study or to catch up on some work that they needed to get finished. Instead she spent the nights at Garry's studio, which seemed to be her new home. He would let her take the bed while he slept on the couch. He couldn't stand to see how upset and secluded she was to everybody, so he would spend all his time and money on her just to try to get a smile on her face. He would take her to the most private places in town and show her all the reasons to smile. Since she was more upper class she wasn't really allowed to go to all these places or even socialize outside of school or piano rehearsal. These were the days that Ib felt comfortable to be herself and let herself be free. She even allowed herself to laugh a few times. If it weren't for Garry she knew she would have gone insane a long time ago.

Then there was that day, many years ago that still haunts her to this very day. It would jolt her awake screaming in bed, practically sobbing rivers and having Garry cradle her softly till she calmed down. At random points of the day Garry would start shaking uncontrollably with his eyes widen so much it was though they would pop out of his head. It was at these times that Ib would embrace him and know that they were lucky to get out alive. They never ventured to that museum ever again. They would do everything in their power to avoid it. There was once a school trip that Ib was to attend at the gallery but she stayed home, faking a horrible flu. Nobody but themselves knew what they had gone through, and they wished to keep it that way. There was no way for anybody to believe them. Ib sometimes got the feeling as if Mary was right behind her seeking her revenge. They were never had peace of mind from that day forth. But with each other's help and companionship they continued living their lives as peacefully as they could.

What Ib couldn't understand was how Garry could just forget everything they had did and gone through together. Ib couldn't remember a day in her life where Garry wasn't beside her, cheering her on no matter what. He needed her as much as she needed him, which was what she knew for sure. She just couldn't stand the thought of him just disappearing from her life like that. Just up and vanishing like a ghost disintegrating into the air. Then again why should it matter to her? He should be able to go on and live his won life like any other adult his age. He should have a girlfriend and a good paying job elsewhere. But Ib didn't like the thought of him being around anybody else but herself. She normally wasn't this possessive of anything else but Garry was another story. Ib would sometimes lock herself in her room replaying the days she spent with Garry. At the same time the haunting voices of her friends teasing would repeat over and over and over. At first she wanted to tell Garry about this but decided against as she knew that it would be very awkward between them if she did. And every passing moment she spent with Garry she grew more and more attached to him. It was that one day in the library when herself and Garry were especially close.

It had been a very cold harsh winter and the library's heater had broken. She and Garry had snuggled up against each other as to keep warm. At first it was nothing new for them so they did what they normally did. But this time it was more different. Garry had been reading a romantic fictional story when Ib was somewhat falling asleep on him. Garry's mouth was right beside her cheek they were so close. As he spoke his warm cinnamon breath warmed her cheek up. Ib's eyes flashed open but she stayed frozen on him. A faint blush crept onto her face but Garry seemed not to notice anything. It was then that Ib started to really notice his features. The way his purple locks swept in front of his eyes, hiding them from sight making him mysteriously attractive. The way his collar bones protruded from underneath his faded jungle green tank top which he had on despite the cold. His pale skin seemed to glow under the illuminating light that the lamp beside them gave off. In general, Ib noticed that he was indeed very attractive and handsome. It was then that Garry noticed her staring at him. He turned to look at her, giving her a faint smile. And with that smile Ib's heart was racing a hundred miles a minute, her tinted cheeks turning as crimson as her eyes. She jumped off of him and raced home, saying that she forgot she had some homework to take care of. Garry was very confused but didn't question her on it later on. Ib ran straight to her house and locked herself in her room. She stayed sitting in her bed with her eyes wide all night realizing, she was in love with Garry.

Meanwhile in his studio was a very worried Garry. He had called Ib all morning to see if she was alright. He had no sleep that night as he was feeling guilty about moving away without asking Ib if she was okay with it. He had been replaying the moment last night in his head on repeat. The glass shattering, Ib in a state of shock, her abruptly leaving without so much as a goodbye. And he didn't even chase her. That was what was bothering him the most. He should have chased her. He should have been more thoughtful of her feelings. But at the same time, Garry felt guilty for another reason. He saw it better if he left Ib. If not for him, she would have a better social life. She would have spent more time with other girls her age if it weren't for him. She might even have had the chance to get a boyfriend whom she might even possibly fall in love with. Deep down inside Garry couldn't stand the thought of another man being by her side. Every time he so much as think about it he would be infuriated. A while back he didn't understand why it angered him so much that she should be dating boys her age. For a while he thought that he had grown to be protective of her like an older brother or father would. But as years went on and she got older, he realized, that wasn't the reason. But at the same time while he knew that wasn't the reason he didn't understand what the real reason was. Maybe he just didn't want to see her get hurt. Or maybe he was afraid of what she and her boyfriend might do. Or maybe it was because he was afraid that she would forget about him. He just didn't know. But what he did know was that he had to go find Ib and apologize to her for being so selfish. He racked his brain of all the places she might be when it came to him. There was only one other place in the world where she might be if not with him. And with that he rushed out the door, grabbing his coat on the way out. As he slammed that door shut behind him little did he notice, he had left his phone behind. A few minutes after him leaving there was a call, and it was from Ib.


	3. Searching

Hello again everyone! Thank you for the wonderful reviews! You guys are so sweet! But again please let me know if I had made any mistakes at all. You guys motivated me to finish this story no matter how long it might take me. Thanks for your patience! Had a bit of writers block before ^.^" Muchos gracias amigos!

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The ringing became tauntingly slower and slower to Ib as she kept calling him repeatedly. The white flakes floated slowly towards the ground only to find their path interrupted by the brown haired girl laying below them. Instead the flakes got caught in her hair and eyelashes but they didn't seem to melt, but Ib hadn't minded the snow at all.

"I'm not here right now but leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as- *beep*"

Ib clicked the end button before the voicemail beep came on. His soft voice made her feel even icier than the snow surrounding her. Like he was being happy without her. Her fingers were still on the spot where the end button on her red cellular was. Her crimson eyes were hidden behind her brown strands. Slowly her hand lowered onto the snow covered ground and stayed there along with the rest of her body. Ib turned her sights upwards towards the sky. She saw the peaceful little white flecks sway in a little dance that only they knew downwards.

She was now angry. But her body or her facial expressions didn't seem to show it at all. Like usual. She was always the best when it came to hiding her emotions. If Garry wanted to ignore her completely, fine then. She could survive without him. She could if she wanted to! Before she had met him those all those years ago she had! Now she was going to do it again and show him that she didn't need him in her life!

She sat up in the snow, her face still tilted towards the sky. There was a certain spark in her eyes now that had not been there before. Her physique was now channeling with new found energy and defiance. Her crimson eyes seem to flash as she curled her fists into balls.

"I don't even care! I don't care! I can survive without him!"

She yelled this into the clouded grey sky. She was panting lightly, white steam pouring out from her lips like smoke. All that energy she had was gone. A small gentle breeze swept over her, blowing her hair around making it fly freely onto her face. But that breeze seemed to talk to her. It whispered in her ear in a sweet tone, calming her greatly. She looked to the ground for a little bit then back towards the sky.

"Who are you fooling?"

The sky seemed to whisper back to her outburst. Her eyes were void of any emotion. Then, it came. Those salty tear she tried so desperately to hold back all this time. They came one by one. But she made no effort to wipe them away, or to move at all. She kept staring at the same sky that had told her the truth. She needed him more than anything. He was everything to her. And there was no way she was going to give him up so easily.

She jumped up in place, kicking up the snow around her so that they got caught on her clothing. Little did she know that she had left her cellular behind. Then she started running. As hard as she could. Her jacket and boots held her back a little bit but she didn't care. The only thing on her mind was getting to Garry as soon as she could. She needed to tell him. There weren't many cars on the road so she didn't stop at the lights like she should have. People walking on the sidewalks leaped out of the way as they stared at wonder at the rocket that shot passed them. This rocket had not noticed all the people she had almost ran over. Then she finally saw it. The apartment building that Garry currently was a resident of. She pushed open the front glass doors with all her might and bounded for the awaiting elevator. Before she even gave it a chance to close she continuously pushed the button for the fourth floor. She fidgeted impatiently in place. Her heart was thumping loudly against her chest. Her stomach seemed to be a butterfly circus as her nervousness seemed to get to her. But she was determined to tell him no matter what. She had waited and wasted all this precious time where she could have been with him the way she truly wanted to be with him.

The elevator slowed to a complete stop as the light for the fourth floor came on. She took a deep breath to relax herself a bit then straightened up her posture. The doors of the elevator slid open showing her the hallway. She stepped out and took long strides until she stopped in front of his studio. Ib reached down under the mat in front of the door and reached for the spare key Garry kept there in case Ib needed to get in. Ib gulped down nervously as she unlocked the door and swung it open. Then at that moment she felt as if her whole world had truly been destroyed.

There wasn't anything in the studio anymore. No furniture, no picture frames, no bookcase that held all of the books Garry bought for Ib to read, no nothing. Her body took action before her mind could and she took a step inside. It was completely empty. No. This couldn't be. This couldn't be the same place that Ib had spent all her time in. This couldn't be. It just couldn't.

Once she reached the spot where her favorite couch used to be her legs caved in and she went crashing towards the floor. He was gone. And it was too late. It was too late for her to tell him. There was nothing she could do to get him back. She didn't even attempt to get up from her spot. What was the point? Where would she go? There wasn't anything more for to do. She hadn't even realized she was crying out loud while she was thinking.

"Ib?"

All thoughts and actions came to a complete stop. There it was again. That voice. That smooth mysterious voice that held some sort of hidden power to it. The voice that she fell in love with.

Meanwhile there was a panting Garry standing at the open doorway of the empty studio. He had searched as hard as he could all over town for her. He had been so worried about her and what may have happened to her. When he had gone to the bench that Ib loved to go to think he had found her cellular laying out in the open on the snow. He immediately had grabbed it and went running back to the studio. And now that he had found her he felt a sense of relief wash over him. When she didn't respond to his voice he started to walk over to her.

Ib heard footsteps creaking on the floorboards of the studio and realized she wasn't imaging his voice. As she turned her head to see him sure enough there he was. In that worn out old tattered coat which was supposedly meant to be that way. That messy purple hair that swept over his crystal eyes making them look enchanting. His cheeks rosey from the run he just had looking for her. He looked like a complete mess. At any other time she would have laughed but instead her eyes widened. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Him walking over to her. Her thoughts thrown away. Her body responded by itself and leaped for him.

Garry leaped with is arms outstretched to catch her. Both of them weren't thinking about there actions at all. They had been so worried that they had lost each other nothing else mattered anymore. Ib crashed into Garry sending both of them sprawling to the floor. Garry held her as tightly as he could into him as Ib nuzzled her head deeply into his chest. She was now openly crying into him not caring if she was getting him wet at all. They were both just so overjoyed that they still had each other, even if it was for a little bit. Ib had forgotten what she wanted to tell Garry but she just pushed that thought aside. Garry had also forgotten what he wanted to tell Ib and it hadn't occurred to him at the moment. There was only one thing that he wanted to say to her then and there.

"I'm so sorry Ib. I'm sorry."

He whispered quietly into her ear while stroking the back of her head, twirling his hair in between his fingers. His chin was resting gently upon the top of her head. One arm was wrapped around her, holding her in between his legs. Ib only shook her head as a response, too busy crying to give him an actual verbal response. She closed her eyes and they both stayed that way for a little bit. Only wanting to be with each other for just that moment.

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For those of you who think I'm finished don't get too ahead of yourselves. There's still a lot going to happen so stick around!


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